In talking with readers, I've had a question posed to me more than once - why did Tracy seduce Chuck? If she just wanted a baby, why not take care of that on her own, using an anonymous donor and an artificial insemination procedure? Good question. I have two reasons.

There would be no book!

That's the simplest reason. If Tracy doesn't go after Chuck, I have no story. Of course, that presents its own interesting set of what-ifs, too. Where might the Molinsky marriage have been in ten or twenty years had they not been forced to fix the deep issues between them? Would they have stayed together once Brad and Joel left home? What would have happened when retirement came and they found themselves staring at each other across the breakfast table?

There is a plot/character reason, too.

Tracy needs control.

Yes, she wanted a baby, but she wanted to choose and engineer the situation as much as she possibly could. Chuck fit her profile perfectly, and his being married was a key part of that. The last thing Tracy wanted was a relationship. In her mind, the terrifying reality was that someone you loved and trusted could completely snap. She would never risk her baby being hurt that way so there would never be a connection with the baby's father.

She carries deep soul damage from witnessing her mother's murder that drives everything she does. She operates from behind a carefully constructed, tirelessly maintained, yet very fragile persona. Without Jack, I can't imagine she could have lasted very long before she self-destructed. She was well on that path even with Jack.

Share this:

In searching for just the right title- one that conveyed the essence of the story AND sounded legal-ish – I landed on Indemnity. An indemnity is either a payment for some wrong committed to remove the penalty OR it's a security against some damage or loss. Insurance, in way.

Before this book, I'd only ever heard the word "indemnity" in an insurance or legal context. You may be familiar with the Billy Wilder film from the 1940s, Double Indemnity about an insurance fraud scheme. This fall, reading Beowulf for school, I found that the king paid the warrior an indemnity when one of Beowulf's men was killed. The king felt responsible, so he paid.

Payment for a wrong committed… Insurance, or protection, against future damages. That's Jack.

Jack is the indemnity.

Do you think the title fits?

Share this:

The author copy of Indemnity is on its way to me which marks the last step in the process before the book's release. Keep an eye on this site and Facebook for details about availability, sales, promotions etc.

Pass the word, and thank you for your enthusiasm and excitement in these last few weeks. It is encouraging, humbling… and terrifying all at the same time. Tracy ended up being one of my favorite characters to work with, and now that you've met Jack as a little boy, I'm anxious for you to see him as a young man in Precedent.

Share this:

Chuck Molinsky stood at the head of a long table in the conference room at Benton, Davis & Molinsky. He had managed to catch everyone on the way in that morning and direct them to a quick meeting. The suddenness of the meeting had resulted in a somber silent mood in the room. “Thanks for meeting in such short notice,” Chuck said, mentally checking off a list of employees and confirming everyone was there. “I’ll only take a minute or two. Some of you have been here long enough, you may remember Tracy Ravenna. She was killed this weekend in an automobile accident.”

Christine Gardner let out a quiet gasp.

“Her funeral is tomorrow afternoon at two. I’m sure most of you are also aware that Tracy and I had an affair and we have a son. I’m asking you, if at all possible, to please come to the funeral, regardless of what you may have thought of Tracy. Do it for Jack’s sake.” There was no movement, not a sound as Chuck’s announcement sunk in. “I’m going to be out for several days. Call me at home if you need me.” He picked up his briefcase and started to walk out.